PP - F2 The Smoker and the Pyro (Pyro)

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke was wandering around Urbarus looking for something Interesting to do for the morning. He doesn't often go out in the mornings but rather deal with errands and helping out new players and such. He Leaned against a wall by the merchant stalls and pulled out a cigarette, flipping his Zippo around and clicking his fingers to make it light, he lit it and took a long heart drag before exhaling. Days like this were perfect to Pyro and he was just going to relax for the morning by going about his usual observations of the passing players. He enjoyed watching the players go about their business as sometime he noticed the odd player he had helped out and had found their way up the second floor and obtained new equipment. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and just watched for while wondering what today would bring.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro observed Floor 2, not exactly used to it. She didn't plan on going out to fight just yet and decided to just walk around the safe zones. It was still morning and little players were outside and if they were it was probably just wanting to get to the shops early or to get out before the streets got crowded. Pyro inspected every building and stall around, wanting to become accustomed to the strange new sights. The smell of smoke filled the air and she saw the player she knew as Sousuke hanging around and smoking near a merchant's stall. She considered him a friend, even if they didn't talk much. Even he had said so himself that she was his friend and it made her glad he thought so. The zippo lighter he gave her was still in her inventory, she hadn't even used it yet, but planned on only playing with it on 'special occasions'.

 

Pyro hesitated before walking over to him. 'Nothing better to do.' That thought convinced her well enough and Pyro stood in front of Sousuke shyly. "Hey. You remember me, right?"

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke continued to observe the other players when he noticed a girl who he recognized from the night they all spent in the inn, the same night Arekkusu disappeared for some odd reason that no one had yet figured out. He met her gaze and she approached him, yet she seemed a little awkward to so and asked if he remembered he. Sousuke merely nodded while taking a drag on his cigarette savouring the taste for a moment before actually replying. ''Of course I do Pyro how could I not, how's the zippo I gave you do you like it?'' he asked her. He considered her a friend from the day they met they just seemed to click and Sousuke couldn't help but feel responsible for the girl.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro smiled for a second at the thought of the lighter and then made sure to keep a casual face. "Yeah. I really missed fire..." She muttered and then looked up at Sousuke. "Sorry if you didn't want to talk or anything. This is my first time on Floor 2, I was actually going to head back to Floor 1 later, but wanted to get a good look here so once I'm done I'll know what to expect." Pyro carried on describing why exactly she was here but became a bit embarrassed when she realized she probably had said too much. "Ah~ anyway I came to say hi because I noticed you and wanted someone to talk to. That cigarette isn't hard to miss." Pyro pointed out after awkwardly explaining the situation. 'You talk too much.' She told herself and crossed her arms, looking quite serious though she was annoyed at herself on the inside.

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke listened to he talk politely and took in everything she said as she explained why she was here and what she had seen on the first floor and what not. He thought about his first time in the game and seeing the death of his twin brother but that as a long time ago now and he was stronger than back then. ''Heh I guess a guy standing around smoking does draw attention doesn't it, but I guess its my trademark now.'' he said smiling as he took another drag on it. ''Besides if you wanna talk im all ears its nice to have some company once in a while and I didn't get chance to talk to you much when we first met did I.'' he told her smiling a genuine smile hoping to pick her mood up a little.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro nodded. She did think that someone like Souske could often be seen smoking a cigarette. The smell was so odd, not that it bothered Pyro, but it was easy to detect for sure in SAO. Her mood was enlightened; though only a little. She was never one for conversations and found herself looking past Souske and at the wall behind him pondering what to say next. "Ehh..." Pyro mumbled and began to zone out. She stood there for a while before shaking her head and coming out of the trance. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, I guess." She looked down at the ground and scratched the back of her neck. 'He probably thinks I'm boring if I think I am.'

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke smiled to the girl and lead her to the fountain in the centre of town thinking to himself the whole journey how best to start. ''Ok so if I tell you a bit about me you gotta tell me a little about you I think your quite interesting and want to know more about you.'' he smiled as he said that. ''Well back in the real world not two weeks before this crazy game started I was discharged from a secret military organisation who I cannot explain more about for reasons im sure you understand, but I was dis charged for disobeying a direct order and leaving a group of hostages to be rescued by the army in order to save a close friend who was being tortured.'' he told her taking a drag of his cigarette

[Pyro 0]

Pyro followed behind and stopped at the fountain. She liked the fact that Sousuke found her interesting and listened to him speak about his former life. It was very secretive to her, but she understood why. "Well it seems to me you made the right choice... I would've done the same." Pyro replied positive of her answer. She had so many questions but knew Sousuke couldn't tell as it would probably put him in danger if it was really a secret military organization like he said it was, so she kept quiet and waited until he was done speaking.

 

"I was kicked out of school at an early age because I hurt a lot of other kids... Sousuke how old are you?" The question suddenly popped into Pyro's head and before she could even let her words soak in she asked.

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke laughed when she said she had hurt a lot of kids back in school, he couldn't help sympathise with her after all he had hurt people too but maybe in a different way than she did still he didn't get to go to school for much longer that the seventh grade due to his early recruitment into the organisation. ''I am sixteen Pyro a young age for someone in the military I know but I was chosen specifically by the captain of a submarine called the teltha de naan a submarine with all the latest equipment.'' he said to her ''How about you how old are you?'' he asked her

[Pyro 0]

Pyro frowned when he laughed but ignored the comment and focused on what he was saying, deciding he didn't mean it to hurt her. "You must've been talented. I mean, you probably still are, but I think you know what I mean." She kept speaking but was thinking about how life would be different being recruited into the military so young, even Sousuke admitted he thought it was a young age and she agreed. "I'm 15. I could've sworn you were older you act like it." Pyro said, not to insult Sousuke or anything, but because she was impressed at how mature he seemed. Even if she was a callous person emotions like embarrassment got to her easily yet the player in front of her managed to keep a straight face most of the time.

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke nodded in agreement with her comments on his age. "That's what 4 years in the military does to you I'm afraid." He said as he took a drag of his cigarette. "As for you i probably could have guessed you were around my age you look it and to be honest act it too no offence mind, i would have loved to have had a somewhat normal childhood. And as for me being talented well ... it wasn't talent that got me recruited it was my ability to survive against all odds." He told her

[Pyro 0]

Pyro glared at Sousuke when he commented on her acting the appropriate age, but then giggled softly, thinking about how she looked all the time and silently agreed with him. "About my childhood," Pyro added matter-of-factly, "it wasn't normal. Though, it was nothing like yours, I was a pretty crazy kid. And if you ever want to have fun just ask me. I may 'look' like I'm as bored as ever most of the time, but on the inside emotions are swirling 24/7. My parents even thought I was bipolar. One time, I found this package outside our house for my mother and set it on fire just to make her angry. I was in so much trouble; found in the backyard with burns on my skin as I played with the fire... Oh." Pyro stopped and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I just get carried away when I think about... you know."

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke shook his head as she explained her childhood. "Trust me Pyro your more normal than i am, how many 16 year olds do you know that had killed a man before they turned 14, i was 13 when i killed a man who had been leader of the grand plot to nuke the east coast of Japan." He said to her "Sure uve done some crazy things but i assure I've done worse, but that's behind me now I'm no killer i just protect those who are in danger and if you ever need me just shout." He said smiling to he

[Pyro 0]

"T-That's sweet." She muttered. "Just remember we're friends, and even though we're not that close it doesn't mean I won't be there for you." Pyro kept a straight face but chewed on a fingernail before doing something she saw other children at her school do before. She punched Sousuke playfully in the arm and hoped he would receive the message. "It's not where you've been that matters, it's where you're heading. And like me I bet you want to beat this game and turn in Kayaba yourself. I know most people would like to kill him, but I'd rather see justice served. Unless he's being burned," Pyro started to joke. "then maybe I'd consider killing. Ah~ just kidding."

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke rubbed his arm as she hit him playfully smiling to himself as she cheered him up and joked about Kayaba. "Haha i wouldn't kill either if I'm honest. He needs to see justice, although i wouldn't mind giving him a good punch for my brother." He said to her laughing

[Pyro 0]

'He has a brother?' Pyro asked herself looking down in deep thought. 'Eh~ wouldn't he tell me about him if he wanted to already.' Pyro shrugged the thought off but it constantly prodded at her heart until she couldn't hold it back anymore. "Who's your brother?" She asked the question hoping that his brother was just someone Sousuke didn't feel like bringing up and that what she was thinking could be the worse hadn't been why Sousuke never said anything or was with him.

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke sighed at her question and thought how best to approach an answer to it. After all he was the one who brought him up it was only right that she wanted to know. After another sigh and a puff on his cigarette he thought he had reached a satisfying answer. "My bother was called Tomoya and we were twins, we came to SAO together and some players were held ransom for no reason, he went and rescued them at the price of being marked a pker. In the end some high level dude put a bounty on his head and he was killed right infront of me." He finished smiling a sad smile to her his eyes glistening with tears.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro looked into Sousuke's eyes that were threatening to spill tears. "I-I'm sorry, really." Pyro looked away and at the ground. She hadn't meant to make Sousuke remember such a thing, she had only wanted to know more about him. "I didn't mean to ask about something that would turn out to be so personal." She didn't give any looks of sympathy. Sousuke seemed like a strong person that wouldn't want people to feel bad for him. 'He really is strong to be able to live on seeing the death of his brother.' She thought. 'I would die if my family member met their fate.'

 

"I think it's truly amazing that your brother did that. He was hero in life and death you could say."

[Sousuke 0]

Sousuke wiped his eyes and ruffled Pyro's hair grinning to her. She was a sweet girl and he was glad he had met her. Sousuke needed to stay strong though for everyone elses sake. There would be plenty of time to mourn his brothers passing once they escape from the game. ''Don't worry about it im glad to be able to tell someone about it sometimes even the toughest nut must crack.'' He said to her hugging her.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro accepted the hug. When Sousuke let go she smiled and crossed her arms. "Man, don't get all chummy with me now." She joked and smiled even wider. This time, it wasn't one of her small fake smiles she plastered onto her face to express how she was feeling, it was real. "I'm glad we could talk today. Honestly I needed it I've been battling so much and haven't had the time to have a conversation that doesn't involve killing a monster." Pyro smoothed out her skirt. "Do you think people are getting to absorbed into the game? I mean you barely see anybody now just relaxing or having fun because they're out in the fields."